Prompter requires a 386SX or better PC, Windows 3.1 operating in Enhanced Mode, and a minimum of 2 MB of memory. You'll also need 1 MB of disk space for installation, plus a mouse and a valid video display with 640 X 480 resolution minimum.
LICENSE INFORMATION
This is the unregistered version of Prompter. Prompter is a shareware program. You may try this copy of the program for a period not to exceed 30 days to determine whether or not it is suitable for your needs. After that time, if you continue to use the program, you must register your copy with the author. To register, use the OsoSoft Program Info command in the Help Menu to print the registration form. The Registration fee for this program is $25. You can also register with a Visa or MasterCard by calling OsoSoft at (805) 528-1759 during normal West Coast business hours.
Registered users receive the very latest version of the program, a printed manual, additional clip art images, automatic notification of major upgrades, and support. In addition, when you register, you'll always be entitled to upgrade to new registered versions at no charge on the OsoSoft BBS at (805) 528-3753. Registered users are entitled to unlimited free support by telephone, fax, on the OsoSoft BBS, and on Compuserve.
Unregistered users receive only a minimum of support, limited to some installation help, if necessary, and are not entitled to telephone support. If you call the OsoSoft voice number for support as an unregistered user, you will be asked to register at that time by credit card.
Users of this program, along with traditional shareware distributors may distribute copies of the shareware versions of this program, but only under the terms described in the VENDOR.DOC file included with this copy of the program. All commercial distributors MUST read that file and abide by the distribution rules contained in that file. Violations of the distribution license in VENDOR.DOC may result in prosecution under appropriate copyright laws of the United States and other countries.
Prompter and all related files, including this documentation are Copyright 1994 by OsoSoft. All rights are reserved.
OsoSoft is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals and the Software Publishers' Association.
OsoSoft
1472 Sixth Street
Los Osos, CA 93402
OsoSoft BBS: (805) 528-3753
Voice Order Line: (805) 528-1759
CompuServe ID: 71571,222
HOURS
OsoSoft business hours are 7 AM to 4 PM, Pacific Time, on weekdays. Calls outside those hours are not appreciated.
ASP OMBUDSMAN NOTICE
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting that member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49422-9427 USA FAX 619-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
TUTORIAL
Prompter is extremely easy to use, since it has just a few commands. To help you understand how the program works, here's a tutorial giving the steps used to create and deliver a typical speech:
Configuring Prompter
Before creating your first Prompter speech, you need to set the program up to match your own personal delivery style. Rates of speech and other elements vary widely from speaker to speaker. To help you with this, Prompter includes the text of three speeches, stored in .LEC files in your Prompter directory. The first is Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, possibly the most famous speech of all time. There are also two professionally-written radio addresses by President Bill Clinton, which you can also use to help set up Prompter's default settings.
Select FileOpen from the Prompter menu, then choose CLINTON1.LEC or one of the other LEC files in the file list, then click [OK] in the dialog box. Prompter will load the speech into the display window. Prompter starts with default scroll rates and font sizes, typical of good speech practices.
Next, click the [Prompt] button at the upper left of the Prompter window. Immediately, you'll see the cursor begin to travel down the screen at the preset pace. Wait for the cursor to move down a few lines, then speak the text aloud starting at the beginning. If you find yourself falling behind the scroll rate or if the screen scrolls too slowly, change the rate by pressing the Plus (+) key on your keypad to speed it up or the Minus (-) key to slow the rate down. You'll see the change reflected in the Lines per Minute (lpm) number at the top of the window. Experiment with speeds until you find a rate which suits you best.
REMEMBER: Public addresses are normally given at a slower rate than normal conversation. You may feel that you're speaking too slowly, but your rate of delivery should be somewhat slower than normal speech.
At any time during this process, you can pause the scrolling by pressing any alphanumeric key on your keyboard, including the space bar. Scrolling will stop instantly. To resume scrolling, press any key again. While scrolling is paused, you can use any directional key on your keyboard to move the cursor to a new location. While scrolling is on, you can use the same keys to jump in the text. This takes a bit of practice, so experiment with the keys while scrolling.
HINT: <Ctrl>-<Home> and <Ctrl>-<End> move to the top and bottom of the text.
To stop scrolling altogether, click the [Edit] button. Scrolling will stop and the font size of the editing menu will decrease to allow for easy text editing. At the same time, disabled menu items will become available again. You can only use Prompter's menus during editing, not during scrolling.
Once you've established a scroll rate which seems comfortable, select OptionsSave Settings as Defaults. This will make the settings you've found that work for you the normal settings whenever you start Prompter. Speed and font size settings are also stored in the program's LEC files, created whenever you save a speech file, so each speech can have its own settings. You can change these settings and save new defaults at any time.
Creating a New Speech
If Prompter is already running, select the File/New command to clear your screen. Otherwise, just start the program to begin writing your speech. In either case, click the [Edit] button to enable the program's menus and set the screen's font size to 12 points for editing. While in Edit mode, the screen's font size is always 12 points.
Prompter's editing area works much like any Windows word processor. You just type as you would normally, pressing <Enter> only when you reach the end of a paragraph. Since Prompter scrolls during rehearsal or performance, it's best not to leave blank lines between paragraphs. Otherwise, you could find yourself on a blank line with nothing to say. Instead, press <Tab> at the beginning of each paragraph, unless you want blank lines to serve as natural pauses during presentation.
Remember that you'll be speaking aloud, and allow for natural pauses in your speech. Also, if you'll be asking the audience for questions, add a line of text to your speech, such as "Are there any questions?" Where you expect to make a pause, either insert a blank line or two, or type symbols to prompt you to press a key and pause the scrolling. Try #### as a pause prompt. It's easy to see, and won't be confused with something you might say accidentally.
Continue writing and editing your speech. You can use the Copy, Cut, and Paste commands in the Edit menu, just as you would in your word processor. If text is selected or highlighted during editing new text will replace the selected text.
At any time during writing and editing, click the Estimate Duration menu command to see a display of the time required to give the talk at the current scroll rate and font size. You can alter these settings with the scroll bars.
Prompter can edit up to 32,767 characters, which represents about an hour of speaking time. If your speech will extend beyond that time, create the speech in two parts, breaking it up at the point where you plan a break. Then, when speaking, you can load the second part during the break.
Importing Text from Other Applications
Prompter's editor is capable of creating any speech or address. However, if you prefer, you can write your initial draft for your address in another program, such as a word processor. If you do, save the file as an ASCII or Text file in the other application, then load the file into Prompter. If you do this, be sure to save the imported file with a different file name to preserve your Prompter settings and changes.
Saving and Printing your Speech
Once your speech is written, and as you make changes, be sure to save it. Give the FileSave As command, then supply a file name. It's best to stick to the default LEC file extension, since that's the one Prompter proposes when you open existing speeches. As with all programs, be sure to save your work as you go to avoid accidentally losing your speech.
NOTE: Prompter saves by default in its own program directory. You can save in any other directory, however. When you give the OptionsSave Settings as Defaults command, the last path selected for saving becomes the new default.
To print the currently-loaded speech, give the FilePrint command. You'll be asked to specify a font size for the printout (the default size is 12-points). If you'll be reading the speech from the printout, select a larger size for easier reading. Your printout will have a header, showing the filename, the date, and the page number. All formatting and margins are set by Prompter.
If you want a more heavily-formatted printout, you can load the ASCII LEC files saved in Prompter into any word processor for formatting before printing.
Rehearsing a Speech
Once your speech is written, click the [Prompt] button. The cursor will jump to the top of the text and begin scrolling at the rate you set previously. An elapsed time counter will appear at the upper left of the window. As the speech scrolls, speak in the same way you will during the actual presentation. As you rehearse, you can control the scrolling speed with the Plus (+) and Minus(-) keys on your keyboard's numeric keypad. Pause the scrolling at any time by pressing any normal alphanumeric key or the space bar, then resume scrolling by pressing any key again. If you need to edit the speech as you rehearse, just click the [Edit] button and make your changes. Be sure to save any changes you've made!
NOTE: Whenever you click the [Prompt] button, Prompter begins scrolling from the top of the file. If you've paused to do editing, press any key after pressing the [Prompt] button, then move to your previous location with the cursor movement keys, then press any key again to continue scrolling.
REHEARSAL HINTS: Be sure and rehearse several times, until you feel completely comfortable with your speech. Pay special attention to pauses, pacing, and the speech's scroll rate. Anticipate points where your audience will applaud or ask questions, marking these spots with a symbolic mark to remind you that you may have to press a key to pause when you actually perform the speech before an audience.
Also, make sure during rehearsal that you're completely comfortable with the controls in Prompter if you plan to use it during the actual presentation. Practice pausing and altering scroll rates. The last thing you want is a surprise at the lectern.
REMEMBER: No speech was ever over-rehearsed.
Using Prompter While Speaking
Have you ever noticed how smoothly professional public speakers perform? Did you ever notice the little angled piece of glass at the lectern when professionals speak? That's a prompter, and the speech is being displayed on it as the speaker talks. Similarly, those smooth-talking news announcers are speaking that way because they're reading the text as they speak it from a prompter.
Prompter offers you the same advantage. All you need is a notebook computer which can run Windows. Install Prompter on the notebook, just as you did on your desktop computer. You load the LEC file for your speech ahead of time, place the notebook on the lectern, then simply click the [Prompt] button when it's time to speak. As you saw during rehearsal, controlling the scroll rate or pausing and restarting the scrolling is simple and doesn't require much attention.
Essentially, you use the program during the speech, just as you did during rehearsal. You'll never lose your notes or get them out of order.
Hints for using Prompter at the lectern:
1. Set up ahead of time. Make sure your notebook screen is easy to see on the lectern, and that the angle of the screen and contrast and brightness settings are ideal.
2. When you reach the lectern, return the notebook to the same position and angle, wait for the applause to die down, then click the [Prompt] button or press <Alt>-P to start scrolling. Wait until the cursor moves down a few lines, then begin giving your talk. Since you've rehearsed it several times, you'll only have to refer to the screen occasionally.
3. If you're getting ahead of the Prompter screen, you're probably rushing your speech, a common problem, usually caused by nervousness. Just slow down a bit. Use the down arrow to catch the screen up with you, then slow your pace. Remember that you set a comfortable pace during rehearsal.
4. If you need to change pacing, use the + or - keys to change the scroll rate.
5. If you're interrupted with questions, just tap any alphanumeric key on the notebook's keyboard to pause the scrolling. When you begin speaking again, tap a key to resume.
6. If you interject an aside during your talk, again, press a key to pause scrolling, then press another to begin scrolling when you resume your prepared text.
NOTE: Always have a printed copy of your speech on hand, at the lectern, just in case something goes wrong with your computer.
Working with an Assistant
Prompter can also be used with an external monitor attached to a laptop. This works well when an assistant is operating Prompter as you speak. If you choose this alternative, be sure you have rehearsed with your assistant well in advance, that the assistant is completely familiar with Prompter's operation, and that you have a printed copy of the speech on hand, just in case.
Prompter Reference
On-Screen Controls
[Edit] Button--This button returns Prompter to editing mode, with the window's font size set at 12 point type. The cursor will remain at the last postion it was in if you were in Prompt mode. This button also enables menus and other controls. Keyboard Shortcut: <Alt>-T
[Prompt] Button--This button begins scrolling the text at the scroll rate set with the lefthand scroll bar. The current scroll rate is displayed in Lines Per Minute (lpm) next to the scroll bar. Scrolling always begins at the beginning of the file. Keyboard Shortcut: <Alt>-P
[Speed] Scroll Bar--This scroll bar adjusts the scrolling rate in Lines Per Minute (lpm). The current rate is displayed next to the bar. Click the left arrow to slow things down slightly or the right arrow to speed up. To slow down or speed up at larger intervals, click the area between the arrows on the scroll bar and the "thumb" of the scroll bar. For even larger changes, drag the "thumb" to a new location. Keyboard Shortcut (During Scrolling Only): + Increases Rate; - Decreases Rate
[Font Size] Scroll Bar--Alters Scroll Mode font size in points. The current font size is displayed next to the bar. Available only in Edit mode. NOTE: When you change font sizes, those changes won't show on the screen in Edit mode. To see the effect, click the [Prompt] button.
Menu Commands
File Menu
New--Clears the window in preparation for creating a new speech, with confirmation.
Open--Opens an existing LEC or other file. Displays a dialog box for selecting a file. By default, *.LEC is the file pattern. Type a new pattern to view files with other extensions. Select a file by clicking on the file name in the dialog box. Open the file by clicking [Open] or by double-clicking a file name. NOTE: You should save all speeches with the LEC extension to save time and help identify your files. You may open any ASCII file for viewing or editing in Prompter.
NOTE: Maximum file size is 32K. Larger files will be truncated to that length when displayed.
Save As--Lets you save your current project as a LEC file. Save As is used in this program to remind you not to overwrite exisiting files, especially if they are in another file format. If you type just a filename, without an extension, the LEC extension will be added. NOTE: Once you've saved a file, the Save As command will automatically propose that file name for saving. To save that file or a new filename typed into the filename box, just click the [Save] button.
Print--After asking you for a font size, Prompter will then print your text on the current printer. The font used in the printout is the same one which is displayed in the text window. Header lines and page numbers, always in 12-point type are added automatically, and include the filename, date, and page number. Margins are 1", except for the left margin, which is 1.5" to allow easy three-hole punching.
Exit--Exits Prompter. Be sure to save your work. If a file is loaded, Prompter will ask if you want to save your file before exiting.
Edit Menu
Cut, Copy, Paste--These are the normal Windows editing commands. You can use the menu commands or normal windows shortcut keys. <Ctrl>-X cuts, <Ctlr>-C copies, and <Ctrl>-V pastes selected text.
Find/Find Next--Search for text. All searches are case-insensitive, which means that entering search text as "Bob" will find "bob," "Bob," or "BOB". Prompter remembers your last search text, so giving this command again will automatically insert the text for your last search. To search for new text, just type it in. Each time you search, you'll be asked if you want to begin the search from the beginning. Answer No to continue a search from the cursor location. Keyboard Shortcut: <F3>
Insert Menu -- This menu has only one command, which opens a new window for inserting pronunciation characters. Select the word you need to pronounce before giving this command. In the window, you can type in the text editing area or insert any of the characters in the boxes by double-clicking them. Click the Insert command to paste the pronunciation back into your document Prompter adds it after the word, enclosed in parentheses.
Options Menu
Use Prompt Highlight -- This command is a toggle between using a two-line highlight during prompting and using no highlight. If the command is checked, the highlight option is active.
Edit with Prompting Font Size -- This command switches between normal 12-point type, and the actual prompting font size during editing.
Mirrored Text -- Click this command to toggle between mirrored and normal text before prompting. If mirrored text is displayed, clicking this command or the Edit button will return you to normal text.
Save Settings as Defaults--This command saves the current Font Name, Font Size, Scrolling Speed, and Path information. Whenever you run Prompter, it looks for this information and uses it as the default settings. Once you have Prompter working the way you like, use this command to save your settings.
Delete Default File--If you change your mind about your default settings, you can give this command to return to the default settings the next time you start Prompter.
Estimate Duration Menu
Click this menu command at any time while editing your speech. Prompter will display the time needed to give the speech or lecture at the current font size and scroll speed. Use this command to help you edit your speech to the desired time. NOTE: This time display does not automatically update. You must click the command each time you want to know the duration. Shortcut Keystroke: <Alt>-D
Help Menu
Help with Prompter--Give this command to view a help window. To use the Help system, click on the topic of interest in the right-hand list. The text for that topic will appear at the top of the right-hand window. To return to Prompter's main screen, click Exit or Return to Program. Shortcut Key: <F1>
Prompter Keystrokes--For a quick reference to Prompter's keystrokes which can be used during scrolling, select this command. Shortcut Keystroke: <Ctrl>-K
About Prompter--This command displays a window containing program and version information, along with contact information for Ososoft.
OsoSoft Program Info--This command provides information on other OsoSoft products and includes a fill-in-the blanks order form for those products. OsoSoft publishes several programs which may interest you. To view information on any of those products, click the [Info] button next to that product's name. To order, type in the quantity for each product, then enter your shipping information in the blanks at the bottom of the screen. To print an order form, click the [Print] button. To return to Prompter, click [Cancel].
